Passport to Texas

Bats are Back Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Some people will always be afraid of bats no matter what.

04—A lot of people fear bats because of a lot of myths and superstitions associated with them.

Meg Goodman is a bat biologist. She says bats will not intentionally entangle themselves in your hair, or do any of the other bad bat behavior for which they receive blame.

08—We do a lot of work to get the message across that bats are actually very, very beneficial for us, and they’re very gentle creatures and very interesting to learn about and learn from.

Good news for bats is that people are slowly beginning to appreciate them. In fact, certain bats such as the Mexican free-tail that winters in Mexico and summers in Texas, have a following of fans in certain cities statewide.

12—The Mexican free-tailed bat is probably one of our most common bats in the state, and people know it because it lives in such large numbers in places such as bridges and caves and makes nightly emergences that many people can come out and watch.

Tomorrow Meg Goodman returns to talk about how bats can save farmers money on pest control.

05—The Mexican free-tailed bat, in particular, is really valuable for agricultural purposes.

That’s out show. The Wildlife and Sport fish Restoration program supports our series and funds conservation project throughout Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Plan Bee Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Once twin sisters Markley and Louisa Ehrlich (UR-lick), seniors at Austin High in Austin, learned about colony collapse disorder—a phenomenon that causes the death of honeybee colonies—they wanted to do something to help.

05—So, I decided to call Texas Parks and Wildlife and they connected me with him.

“Him” is invertebrate biologist, Michael Warriner. Markley says they originally wanted to build a hive for European honeybees as a class project. But Warriner suggested an alternative.

05—I steered them more toward making bee blocks in that it helps native bees.

Native bees do not use hives or make honey. Some, called solitary bees, will use the bee blocks—hefty pieces of untreated lumber drilled with holes—in which to lay their eggs. Louisa Ehrlich says bee blocks are safe in suburban backyards as solitary bees won’t defend their nests; plus, they’re an asset to agriculture.

07—And so, it really surprised me that there were these local solitary bees that, in fact, are heavier pollinators than the honeybees.

In a one acre orchard, for example, two hundred solitary bees are more effective pollinators than 10,000 European honey bees. The girls, with the help of their brother, made and marketed two dozen bee nesting blocks. They’re donating the money they raise to pollinator conservation through the Houston Zoo.

Make your own bee block. Find out how at passportotexas.org. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

State Parks: Longhorn Cavern Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Nature provides recreational opportunities above ground and below. Our State park guide, Bryan Frasier, tells us about one park that’s underground, but still on the radar, thanks to some renovations.

57—Longhorn Cavern is a real special place; it’s been popular for thousands of years. The history is colorful because it has everything that included outlaw Sam Bass, all the way into the Civil War it was used as a shelter. And Longhorn Cavern State Park was built and renovated by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s; it opened as a park in 1932. And it’s been needing some renovation, and we’ve renovated the lighting in heat and restored some of the CCC stuff. It’s a guided tour down into these caves and caverns. You get the full insight into what happened and why those caves are there in central Texas. It’s right near the Highland Lakes-it’s not far from Inks Lake State Park. So check out Longhorn Cavern State Park. And it is a unique state park. Most people think of state parks as things that happen above ground, but this one is a nice 68 degrees year-round, underground. And a great place to take the kids to see the cave features and the tour there. It’s a favorite of a lot of people and for good reason.

Thanks Bryan. Make reservations when you log onto texasstateparks.org.
That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Boat Ramps Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Safely getting your boat into the water is just as important as navigating it once on the water. The Sport Fish Restoration Act levies federal taxes on fishing equipment, which in turn is used, in part, to provide boaters easier access to Texas waters.

As a person shops for boating equipment, the agency is reinvesting that tax investment that the consumer made back into facilities that they can use to enjoy recreational boating.

SF restoration funds totaling in the millions of dollars, have helped build and maintain public launching ramps throughout the state.

The way that’s accomplished is Texas Parks and Wildlife has a program that provides local assistance to local governments for the construction of new ramps. This program provides a 75% matching assistance to local governments for the construction of public boat ramps.

Sponsors must provide the land, legal access, a 25% match share, and accept operation and maintenance responsibility for at least 25 years.

And for the investment—everyone has better, safer access and more fun on Texas waters.

That’s our show for today: Made possible by the Wildlife and Sport fish Restoration program in Texas. It’s funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motorboat fuels.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Staying Safe on the Water Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you plan on operating a boat this summer—or any time—get to know items important to keep on board for safety while underway.

13—You should have a sound producing device, and you should have a life jacket for person that’s on board. If you’re boating at night, you should have the proper lights—that are working—and we suggest a first aid kit.

Tim Spice, manager of boater education for Parks and Wildlife, says anyone born on or after September 1, 1993 is required to take boater education.

21—We cover lots of different things, including safety aspects of boating; the different types of vessel you may have; the rules of the road; the required equipment. Again, everyone on board a vessel needs to have a life jacket that’s accessible. We define what accessible means by law so that you don’t get in trouble when you’re on the water and a game warden stops to give you a boating safety check.

In addition, filing a float plan that tells folks on shore where you’ll be and when you plan to return will be vital if an emergency occurs while you’re on the water. Operating a boat has a different set of rules than driving a vehicle.

10—There’s no lines on the road; there’s no speed limits, per se. There are different signs and things you have to look out for that are very different than you would in your car.

By taking a boating safety course—which you can do online or in a classroom setting—you’ll learn what those rules.

The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series and works to increase fishing and boating opportunities in Texas. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.